At first glance, I was inclined to agree with MileHighGayGuy on this one. At what point does the character assassination end? I was disgusted, although not surprised in the slightest, when I saw a major subscription television carrier running his documentary (which I refuse to watch)...

And then, after just doing a quick search realized, WHAT A CHARLATAN this man really is! His earnings alone, not to mention his willful existence in the spotlight are another perfect example of how so many so-called "christians" will use US to further their own cause. The only message that remains once I skim through any of the media about this (literal) assclown, because that's about all I can stomach, is that homosexual=drugs, promiscuity, lies, bad.

When the hell is anyone going to get past the titilation/National Enquirer effect and start focusing on the real issue so this man, and hopefully the rest of the snake-oil Jesus salesmen will no longer profit from what they really are...LIARS.

Grant Haas probably DID get to know "Ted 2", and you know? SO WHAT. He can ride out the rest of this joke with Ted 2 stuck up his ass because now everybody knows about it. What an idiot. Haggard SHOULD be exposed. Haggard SHOULD spend the rest of his life like a pauper, but as long as people are stupid enough to live in fear, they'll continue building mega churches that do nothing but feed themselves and recruit the masses as willful sheeple that cause the rest of us greater harm than we could imagine.

Rock on, Michelangelo.

Posted by: Eric | Feb 5, 2009 9:58:49 AM

Well, we all wanted him to go fuck himself.

Turns out, he DID.

Posted by: Q | Feb 5, 2009 10:10:01 AM

I agree completely with milehigh.

This is nothing more than putting this guy's private life on display for sport.

And it's simply more than I wanted to know. He's a gay guy whose life has been royally f--ked up by religion. That's well established. Knowing every kinky detail of his sex life doesn't change the story, and I just don't care to be party to this gross violation of his privacy.

To all those who easily dismiss Grant as an "a-hole," I'd offer another point of view. This kid was sexually abused - repeatedly - by a man that he, his family, and his entire community had placed their trust in. Grant could talk about every single one of Haggard's sexual proclivities in explicit detail, and it wouldn't for a moment begin to equal the way that Haggard betrayed Haas. The fact that Mike Jones "broke the story" does not minimize Grant's situation; in fact, Grant's story is more shocking - Jones was a hustler; this kid was a parishoner.

If he wants to talk, let him talk. If you don't want to hear about poor Ted's private business, don't listen (I didn't).

Ted Haggard has made every dirty little detail of his personal life fair game with his refusal to go away quietly from the public eye and his insistence on playing the victim

I honestly believe he is seceretly loving all of this attention. The guy is sick.

Posted by: txstevo | Feb 5, 2009 11:13:13 AM

This goes well beyond a personal story of a "gay guy whose life has been royally f--ked up by religion." What is emerging is a pattern of predatory behavior toward young confused and vulnerable guys. And a church that knowingly covered it up. Gay men are so often wrongly accused of being child molesters and preying on victims. And here is a nationally known minister who is advancing those stereotypes while behaving in that very manner. More evidence can be found on Grant Haas' blog http://granthaas.org/Grant_Haas/BLOG/BLOG.html including a manipulative phone conversation between Haggard and Haas, as well as a copy of the New Life Church hush money settlement.

Posted by: Timmeeeyyy | Feb 5, 2009 11:22:10 AM

Red Seven, "this kid" was 22 years old at the time. He was not a child. Granted, Ted shouldn't have done what he did, but to suggest Grant was an abused child when he was a 22 year old adult is perhaps a little too generous to Grant and too hard on Haggard, especially when we consider that the supposed sexual abuse was that he saw Haggard naked while they shared a hotel room together after Haggard told Grant what he did in hotel rooms.

Growing up in fundamentalist Christianity, I think that these revelations are enlightening and, gossipy though they may be, give a compelling insight into the manipulation and backdoor (no pun intended) meetings of church officials. Ted Haggard's openness about his "struggles" with homosexuality and his rapport with other church officials show that the church had a much bigger role than previously stated. Worse yet, as Ted Haggard bathes in publicity over the HBO documentary, appearing on Larry King and Oprah, and displays himself as a victim of homosexual temptations, this predatory version of him has yet to see the light of day. He is not nearly as sedate as he is making himself out to be, and "healed" though he may be, is just as dangerous now as was then. From personal experience, I can say that the ex-gay movement is not just a crock but terribly dangerous and can lead to much more destructive behavior.

Posted by: JamesinNM | Feb 5, 2009 12:07:06 PM

This is more than gossip or character assassination: it goes to the heart of the hypocrisy of the US Christian Fundamentalist movement which has been littered with sexual scandals for decades. These are the very same people who attack gays for their immoral lifestyle. This needs to be aired and as Jay Spears as so rightly put to music, we need to " Smack Dem Christians Down"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16R4aeYBXww

Posted by: JH | Feb 5, 2009 3:15:07 PM

"...This is more than gossip or character assassination..."

Yes, indeed. It would be hearsay from a witness with questionable motivations.

Posted by: jamman | Feb 5, 2009 3:39:27 PM

TMI! TMI! TMI! BARF.

Posted by: TANK | Feb 5, 2009 3:49:47 PM

Also, I'm just really *barf* glad *barf* that we have LEADERS like signorile who always *barf* talk about relevant issues *barf* in our struggle *barf* for *barf* equality *barf*. He's a real *barf* champion *barf* of our cause *barf*. His show is so classy *barf*, too! It's like an *barf* extended *barf* "Final Thought" *barf*. I need a napkin and some scope.

Posted by: TANK | Feb 5, 2009 3:55:05 PM

Ted Haggard is a lot of things chief among them however is a father. Enough already - we get it!

Posted by: Giovanni | Feb 5, 2009 5:08:59 PM

Parents don't get a pass.

Posted by: TANK | Feb 5, 2009 5:25:58 PM

What? Now way dude, that is just WAY too cool!

RT
www.online-anonymity.at.tc

Posted by: Jack SOur | Feb 5, 2009 5:50:54 PM

You know what? GOOD FOR HIM. Ted Haggard will discover, hopefully soon, that God loves him whether he's gay or not; and that he also needs to learn to love himself for who and what he is.

In a way I agree with MileHigh and others:What Haggard did in his private life is none of our business. We really should not be poking our noses (um, or anything else), into his private affairs. However, we need to remember that Haggard did that very thing every time he railed against homosexuality from his very prominent pulpit. How many lives did he destroy with his vile preaching, while he himself was participating in the very actions he spoke against? How many others are going to come forward with their stories? How many of those did the church pay hush money too?

The best thing for Ted Haggard, his wife Gayle, and his children, would be for Ted to admit he is gay or bisexual. Only then will the Hagards be able to move on and get this whole sordid mess behind them. Who knows, maybe Ted will find himself ministering to others in the LGBT community. God knows, he should have compassion for us.

Posted by: angelwolf | Feb 5, 2009 8:09:20 PM

Ted up me cracks.

Posted by: Yoda | Feb 5, 2009 10:40:58 PM

Did it ever dawn on Grant that perhaps hopping in the bed with a 50 year old man might not be a good idea?

Posted by: michael | Feb 5, 2009 10:46:14 PM

Before you people start to get too worried about Ted Haggard and exposing his personal life, perhaps you might spare a thought for all the gay people he felt quite justified in condemning and consigning to hell through the work of his ministry.

This guy made his living in the public eye condemning homosexuality and making millions off of it. He's an A grade hypocrite and a parasite, he deserves nothing less than total humiliation in the public eye.